I am sure that by now everyone in Raleigh is aware of the Hillsboro St. reconstruction project currently underway along NC State University’s primary business thoroughfare, all the way from Oberlin Rd. out to Brooks Ave. For the past year, cars and pedestrians alike have navigated broken pavement and a clutter of orange and white traffic cones, barrels and barricades, all the while dodging giant earthmoving equipment. However, most people probably are not aware that until the late 1920s that stretch of street was primarily a residential district. In 1939 Hillsboro’s first major commercial building — the ManMur Bowling Center — was erected in the 2500 block.

The ManMur Bowling Center in 1940, when it was new. Notice how sparsely built up the block was then. (Photo courtesy the NC Office of Archives and History, State Archives.)

Designed in a vernacular interpretation of the then fashionable ‘art moderne’ style and faced with polished glass panels, it was built on the vacant block formerly occupied by the main building of the state fairgrounds. Hillsboro St. lore holds that the name ‘ManMur’ was derived from the supposed fact the structure sat on the geographic spot exactly midway between Manteo and Murphy — the eastern and western extremities of North Carolina. The principal tenant of the large one-story brick building — we would call it a strip shopping center today — was the bowling alley, and was flanked by four store fronts and a restaurant. Among the first tenants were the ManMur Shoe Shop and ManMur Barber Shop. The State Beauty Shop and the ManMur Soda Shop soon joined the assemblage of businesses.

Another view of the ManMur Bowling Center in 1940. Notice the barber pole standing in front of the ManMur Barber Shop. The Town House Restaurant is on the right. (Photo courtesy the NC Office of Archives and History, State Archives.)

ManMur became a familiar Hillsboro St. landmark for twenty years. Then, on March 4, 1959, a devastating fire destroyed the Bowling Center. The N&O reported at the time that the fire was “first discovered … by an unidentified little boy who said he smelled smoke…” The manager told the reporter “‘ [I] looked under the seat next to the wall and it looked like someone had thrown a cigarette under the seat. I got a bucket of water and poured it under the seat and when I straightened up, fire was coming through the walls.’” The 200 or so people inside “got out of the building quickly, [and] within minutes after the alarm was turned in, the blaze [had] spread” to the adjoining businesses. Nearby residents hosed down their roofs “as a precaution against flying firebrands being carried by the wind. …The fast-spreading” conflagration threatened the entire block, as the fire department “battled the blaze, cheered on by thousands of State College students, for two hours before bringing it under control.” The building was a total loss, with damages estimated from “several hundred thousand dollars to over a million.”

Western Lanes bowling alley (recently renamed ‘The Alley’) was built in 1960 on the site of the ManMur Bowling Center. I find it somewhat ironic that, as the 1939 building was designed in the art moderne style fashionable then, its replacement is a vernacular interpretation of the modernist style popular during its own era.

Within a year of the fire, a new bowling alley, renamed “Western Lanes,” was rebuilt on the same site. Also in 1960, the ManMur Shopping Center reopened down the street in a new building near the corner of Hillsboro and Gardner streets — the ManMur Shoe Shop and ManMur Barber Shop relocated to the new site, and remain there to this day.

ManMur Shopping Center was built in 1960.

Now, I don’t know whether the original ManMur Bowling Center was really the actual geographic mid-point between the eastern and western extremities of North Carolina, or not; but one thing I do know for certain is that ManMur is now a couple blocks closer to Murphy.

REL – There’ll be more on the Nehi Plant from Goodnight Raleigh at a later date. So stay tuned!

RaleighRob01/15/2010

The geographical mid-point between Manteo & Murphy is closer to Asheboro, thus why it was chosen to be the site for the state Zoo.

But you’re right that the name comes from Manteo and Murphy….

My theory on the ManMur name has to do with the street itself. US 64 ran along Hillsboro Street up until the 1950s. (Then re-routed along Western Blvd…until the 80s when it was moved onto the Beltline.) US 64, as you probably know, is the longest highway in NC and is the one route that runs from Murphy to Manteo. Thus, the name ManMur came from Hillsboro Street being part of that iconic route.

Raleigh Boy01/15/2010

RaleighRob – hmmm. That makes sense to me. If we were offering prizes on this post for best theory on the ManMur name, you’d be at the head of the line. You’ll notice I’ve altered the title just a wee bit in reflection.

btw– I do remember US 64 signs along New Bern Ave in the ’60s, but not Hillsboro St. I guess Western Blvd as US 64 designation occurred before I became aware of such things.

native01/15/2010

So that’s where “ManMur” came from!

But I’d always heard the center of the state was Silk Hope, in Chatham County.

NCSU01/19/2010

Thanks Raleigh Boy.

I can now finally and with authority respond to the many queries from out-of-town visitors or newcomers regaring the name, “ManMur.”

Erin05/16/2011

Somehow stumbled on this entry from awhile back. Just wanted to note that the geographic center of NC is Star – a tiny town in Montgomery County. It’s even written on the side of the post office! Star is a beautiful town – full of old hosiery mill buildings.

Have you seen the new construction to the facade of “The Alley” (nee “Western Lanes”)? They are peeling off some of the concrete panels and adding some horrific neoclassical elements. I think the same “architect” who worked on the Fidelity Bank building in Cameron Village must be responsible.

Melinda Lucas11/16/2016

I just stumbled across your article tonight by accident and really enjoyed it! I grew up in Raleigh and my Dad would be the ‘manager’ who was quoted about how the fire got out of control. I was nine years old the night of the fire and I remember our Mom taking all four of us kids with her to find Dad—she was worried he had been trapped in the building ! Our Dad was Arthur M. Ingram and if you look closely at the Manteo side of the building on the brick wall, you can see the initials ‘A.M.I’ painted up there. We don’t know if Dad did that, but it’s a lovely coincidence for all of us kids to cherish about our wonderful father. Thanks for the trip down memory lane !

Recall the night the ManMur burned down..then “the largest fire in the history of Raleigh” my Father, Arthur M Ingram, Sr. was the manager of the ManMur and led the rebuilding of Western Lanes. Dad was one of four Ingram brothers who all served in WW11 (Dad received the Silver and Bronze Star, Purple Heart fighting in the Battle of the Bulge), and came back after the war and promoted bowling throughout the Southeast from Clemson to Charleston, Savannah, Wilmington, Columbia, Winston-Salem, Durham and of course Raleigh. A lot of history on that block and sad now to see it replaced with a Target store…

Donna M Martin05/13/2020

Well, what do you know? I just came on this site today, and see that my brother and sister (Art Ingram and Mindi Lucas beat me to it, Art Ingram,Senior, our dad, was not only a wonderful father, but was a fantastic leader in developing the bowling industry (along with two of his brothers) in North Carolina.
We have many exciting and heartwarming memories from Western Lanes! I could relate many, but perhaps the best is driving with Dad on Saturday mornings to the underground parking lot walking through the double doors and climbing the super wide staircase up to the bowling level! It was so cool